Key Points
- Simon Shahin could barely speak English when he arrived as a refugee eight years ago.
- Spurred on by a passion for better environmental management, he has completed a degree in electrical engineering.
- He says volunteering as a refugee advocate increased his self-confidence.
Simon Shahin arrived in Australia in 2015, fleeing the turmoil of war in his home country of Syria to begin a new life.
He was studying environmental sciences at a Damascus university when the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
The turbulence of the situation and the raging war forced Mr Shahin and his family of seven to leave the country.
“We managed to escape the violence, sought asylum in Lebanon, and applied for refugee status," he said. The family had two aunts living in Australia, which made sponsoring them and applying for asylum easier, he said.
Mr Shahin said, "We waited two years in Lebanon in difficult conditions, as we weren't continuing our studies, we weren't working, but instead felt in limbo until the application was approved and visas issued."
At the time, he was 22 years old, had never flown on a plane, and he described his English then as "simple".
In addition to the language barrier, Mr Shahin said he was even unaware of the capital of Australia, the country that had given him a second shot at life.
"I thought Sydney was the capital of Australia, and all I knew about it was that kangaroos were famous, and my English was 'broken'," he said.
Mixed emotions about leaving Syria
“At the time of our arrival in Australia, I was in a mixed state of emotions - having said goodbye to our grandparents, relatives, and friends in Syria, arriving in a new country not knowing what to expect but filled with excitement," Mr Shahin said.
In addition to the new culture and his limited language skills, Mr Shahin's integration into society was among the first challenges he faced on his journey to stability.
He said he initially felt depressed and upset, but he tried to cope with it through music and sports. But there were other steps that helped him to adapt to his new life Down Under.
"I began volunteering and collaborating with refugee organisations, gaining confidence, improving my language skills, and learning how to communicate my thoughts to a wider audience," he said.
Among the first organisations Mr Shahin worked with and which helped him was the , which gave him the opportunity to speak at events and schools about his experiences as a refugee.
These events offered him new perspectives and self-confidence, and helped other refugees feel like they could do the same thing, he said.
A few years later, he was able to adapt more and set goals for himself.
Mr Shahin continues his work as a refugee advocate in Australia.
He said he shared his father's passion for "protecting the environment" in Syria, where the majority of Syrians at the time were "unaware of" or didn't pay any attention to it.
Mr Shahin stated, "After my resettlement, I thought about my childhood passion and pursued it in Australia; therefore, in 2018, I took the courageous step of starting my academic studies in the field of clean energy."
Difficult to understand technical terms
It was difficult for him to understand technical terms spoken in English in class during his studies, he said.
Google was always on my side, and whenever I heard an (unfamiliar) term, I rushed to search for its meaning and details to understand what was being said to me.Simon Shahin
Mr Shahin spent time during his university holidays working with energy companies to combine theory with practice in sustainable energy.
In 2022, he completed an Bachelor of Electrical Engineering majoring in Renewable Energy from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
Mr Shahin (third from right) has immersed himself in Australian culture including competitive running events.
His determination was rewarded when he found a job with Stowe Australia Company in Sydney.
According to Mr Shahin, despite the challenges, he has achieved his childhood dream of "advancing sustainable energy goals".
Despite fulfilling his academic and professional dreams, he has continued advocating for refugees, as he explained, "I am an advocate for refugee rights, and I still do so as a presenter for a face-to-face program at the Australian Refugee Council."
He said he was passionate about giving back to the community and helping those in need. He said he strongly believed in creating a better world for refugees and had dedicated much of his life to this cause.
